NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday on NFL Total Access that Kaepernick's contract -- a pact that includes just $13 million in guaranteed money -- "really scares people who know Cam Newton very well."

The structure of Kaepernick's deal essentially allows the Niners to evaluate the quarterback on a year-to-year basis. There is a fear in Newton's circle that Kaepernick's deal is a sign of things to come in how teams do business with franchise quarterbacks.